This video is the unboxing ceremony of 3T’s Strada Road bike, the 1x / single chainring road bike. It isn’t a gravel bike, but the technology is very relevant to gravel.
As used by the professional road team, Aqua Blue, JOM of the Gravel Cyclist crew shows you what is inside 3T’s standard kit build for the 3T Strada. The follow-up video will show the build process.
This video in conjunction with BikeRumor.com
Thank you for watching!
Don’t forget to Like the Gravel Cyclist Facebook page, follow G.C. on Instagram and subscribe to our Youtube Channel. We are also on Twitter!
Enjoy the 1x. Two years ago built up a noname black carbon rig w sram cx1 front crank (40 tooth) and 12-36 on the back Williams alloy cockpit and novatec cxd wheel set. It has conquered everything I’ve thrown at it. Never miss the front mec!
Hey Paul, thanks for chiming in. Out of curiosity, where do you live? Be interested to hear how difficult the hills / climbs are?
I’m wondering that myself! Sure would miss my front derailleur on my local roads in Anchorage, AK, gravel or otherwise!
Climbs don’t have to be hard at all IF you’re willing to expand your personal cadence comfort zone, now that they make massive range cassettes and derailleurs can handle them.
-Ed
Will be following this build. I like 3T’s idea of stepping out and trying something different.
Hey Mark, hope to have the build video online sometime soon. Watch this space!
I love the idea of this! But in my opinion… the 3T 9-32 cassettes are what makes this a possibility. There just no other way to get the necessary range in gearing. Unless of course you’re just a flatlander and always steer clear of climbing. Haha.
It’s not hard to get wide range with a 1X. It IS hard to get wide range AND tight cadence control. I run a 48T ring with 11-49 cassette on my road bike and a 44T ring with 11-52 cassette on my gravel bike and I NEVER run out of range on either bike, BUT I am 100% comfortable climbing at any cadence between 75-105rpm and riding flats and descents at any cadence between 70-100rpm, so I am not cadence-limited like many roadies are (I am a mountain biker at heart, as that’s where I started years ago, but have since moved more towards road & gravel).
-Ed
I do agree with what you said. I run a 40t elliptical chainring and 10-42 or 11-42 cassette (depending on 700c or 650b wheelset) on my gravel bike and I have no real complaints. It truly handles everything I throw at it. The same would definitely work on a roadie but I just find the jump between cogs to be too big. I don’t know, perhaps I’m just too much of a roadie wanting my shifts to be fast, precise and super smooth. Haha.
I don’t think it’s a roadie thing, necessarily, to prefer smoother, quicker shifting. I do think it tends to be more of a roadie thing to demand that their cadence be, like, 87.23478587+/-0.0005 rpm all the time. When you’re an avid trail rider/mountain biker, the terrain naturally forces you to adjust to wide speed & cadence changes and to shift very, very frequently. Roadies are accustomed to long, long grinds in a narrow speed & cadence range, so can afford the luxury of/become overly accustomed to that narrow cadence range. Some would say horses for courses.
-Ed
I tend to agree with Ed. I’m currently riding a 1x and 2x (road) and a 1x mountain and I love the 1x. Hopefully we’ll see how the 1x translates into the pro peloton this year. That said, like another reviewer mentioned in another publication, I would have no trouble living with this bike where I ride and even the events I would race it in.
So I’m looking forward to you building this up and doing some road races JOM!!
Seriously, I think the 1X with a wide range cassette, is more of a problem ON road than OFF road with regard to jumps in gearing. I don’t think we can take much from the views of the Blue Aqua team as most pro’s will ride what they are given and do well on a shopping bike if need be!
What will be interesting is your views JOM as you test this on your local roadsi especially as you have already declared your 2X allegiance 🙂
John
Yep, I think I’m a good candidate to test this bike. I plan to take it to the Georgia mountains to see how it really does on the climbs / descents. Mind you, I am likely to be the biggest handicap of the bike’s performance 🙂
Hey JOM. I live in western Pennsylvania where it is quite hilly. I’ve been running a 1x on the road for about 18 months now. I started out with an 11 speed 11-42 cassette and found the jumps a little too much. I’ve since settled on an 11 speed 11-36 cassette with a 42 tooth chainring. This combination feels about ideal. I don’t spin out until about 35 mph and am still able to climb Pittsburgh’s Canton Avenue which Wikipedia says is 37% at its steepest. I hope this helps.
Good feedback Chris, thank you. I’m hoping to acquire a 40T chainring for my test ride in the mountains of Georgia. If that doesn’t arrive, I’ll be aboard a 44T ring and the 11-40 XTR cassette I showed in the video.
Thankyou so much , JOM! ???? I love the way you describe it as tiptoeing in.
JOM, another mag tested the bike and said they had issues with the seat post slipping repeatedly. Is that something you can check out for us?
A slipping seatpost would tick me off no end. It will be mentioned if it happens to me.
One other question, I’m hearing much like your video the Strada can now be purchased as a complete bike like the Exploro. However, I don’t see that option on their website. Are whole bikes now available to consumers vs. just the frame set?
Mark, I will make a note to ask my contact at 3T about this.
JOM, thanks! And thanks for sharing your great posts every week!